The Sunshine Blogger Awards

I must confess I love these question and tag posts. I love getting to know other bloggers, and I think it shakes up the usual type of day to day post! I’ve been nominated by the lovely Hayley over at Devon Mama to answer the 10 questions she came up with for The Sunshine Blogger Awards! Here goes..

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

A Blonde And A Baby was one of the first names I thought of when I was trying to decide on the name of my blog. However I wasn’t sure about the connotations of the word “blonde”, so I did try to think of alternatives. In school I would be called a “dappy blonde” a lot, because I was a typical giggly hyper frankly annoying teenage girl. I didn’t want the stereotype of “dumb blonde” to be carried over to my blog. After much thought I decided I wasn’t going to let that wrong and ridiculous stereotype prevent me from using a name I love. A Blonde And A Baby, I just like how it sounds, I like the alliteration of it. And after all I am blonde, and I have a baby!

What would you sing at karaoke if you HAD to pick one song?

I know the answer to this straight away. Vanessa Carlton A Thousand Miles. Do you remember it? You know it goes “I would walk a thousand miles if I could just seeeeee yoooou, tonight *piano* dun dun dun dun dun dun duuuuun dun!” When my friend and I were kids we would record ourselves singing songs on my little tape player, this was always the song I sang the most.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

I’m not very good at knowing actors and actresses, mainly because I’m not really a “film person”. I’d probably have to say Elizabeth Banks, she’s great in What To Expect When Your Expecting. Love that film!

What’s your proudest achievement (aside from being a parent!)?

I’m really proud of getting through university and achieving my 2:1 in Drama & Theatre Studies. I hated most of my time at university, so just completing my degree and not dropping out I’m pretty proud of!

If you had to lose one sense (taste, touch, hearing, sight or smell) which would it be?

That’s a hard one! I’m going to say smell. Although you know when you have a cold and you think about how you didn’t appreciate being able to breathe and smell enough! I would miss having a good whiff of Lily just after she gets out the bath though, all soft and snuggly with her baby smell. I would not miss the smell of the husband’s rear end. He once made me cry when I was pregnant because it smelt THAT bad and made me feel sick. Honestly, there was so many tears.

What was your first job?

I worked Saturday’s in a sports shop in my local town when I was 16. Which is pretty much the funniest thing ever as I know nothing about sport, and do no sport myself. People would come in asking if we had the latest Chelsea kit and I would have to ask what colour that one was! No idea how I got that job.

What do you love most about your child?

It’s got to be how much fun she is. She’s (nearly) always smiling and laughing. She’s at an age now where I can genuinely have a great laugh with her. Whether it’s having a crazy game of hide n seek, or we’re having a giggle running around soft play. Don’t get me wrong she can throw a tantrum like a pro, but most of the time she is so much fun to be around.

If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?

For us to be able to spend more time together as a family. At the moment we only get to spend one day together which is on a Sunday due to our working patterns. I would love it if somehow that could be increased. Sometimes I find I put too much pressure on that one day being perfect, and it ends up going a bit Pete Tong.

Why do you blog?

I think it does me good. I get all my thoughts and feelings out on the page. I have an amazing community of other parent bloggers to talk to and vent to. Reading other blogs gives me ideas for days out or activities to do with Lily. Ultimately I would love to become a professional blogger, and help support my family through my blog. However I know that is a long long way off (if even possible!).

Who is your hero?

I’m not sure I have one. I have people I admire for so many different reasons. I especially admire my husband for all the hard work he does to support us, how he always puts mine and Lily’s needs ahead of his own. He will be out in the week from 5:30am so he can go to the gym before work (he doesn’t like to go in the evening and miss out on family time). He’ll then come home and get straight on with cooking dinner for us. We don’t always appreciate him enough but if anyone is my hero it’s got to be him. I know.. “awww”

There you go! Hopefully you know me a little bit better now. I’m now tagging:

1. What made you start blogging?
2. What’s your signature dish to cook for dinner?
3. What’s been your proudest parenting moment so far?
4. Who is your celebrity crush?
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
6. What is the thing you would most like to achieve this year?
7. Where is the best place you’ve been to on holiday?
8. What’s your go to midnight blogging snack?
9. Are you a messy play lover or hater, and why?
10. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Who am I?

My name's Beth, I live in East Sussex with my husband Joe and our daughter Lily-Mae. I juggle part time work alongside adventures out and about with Lily. I'm aiming to write an honest blog about the trials and triumphs of parenting. I started blogging on and off when I was pregnant with Lily, but I never stuck to it until now. This time I have found my blogging groove and can't imagine my life without it! I'm a bit of what some might call a "hippie mum", I'm a cuddler, not a cry it outer. I am a cup of tea loving, scruffy bun wearing, soft play hating, chocolate adoring, will-probably -be-at least-10-minutes-late-to-a-playdate kind of mum, but above all I just love being a mum.